DEVELOPMENT OF A MUCOSALLY ADMINISTERED MULTIVALENT VACCINE TO PREVENT INFECTION OF POULTRY BY MULTIPLE EIMERIA SPECIES

1. Construct and evaluate PIESV constructs to synthesize and deliver three protective antigensof Eimeria maxima (PIESV-Emax) and three protective antigens of E. tenella (PIESV-Eten) andvalidate their safety and efficacy when mucosally administered to broiler chicks to preventcoccidiosis and preserve feed conversion efficiency and growth performance.2. Evaluate in broiler chicks mucosally vaccinated with PIESV-Emax and PIESV-Eten theextent of cross protective immunity induced to challenge with oocytes from other Eimeria species. Use these results to determine whether inclusion of additional antigens might be beneficial to further improve vaccine efficacy. A commercially available vaccine against Eimeria infections will be used in for comparison.3. Evaluate the PIESV constructs delivering Eimeria protective antigens to diminish colonizationof broiler chickens with Salmonella enterica serotypes prevalently colonizing poultry andtransmitted through the food chain to humans. These studies will contribute knowledge andinsight on how best to design a PIESV vector to effectively prevent infection with S. Infantis andother Group C Salmonella that are currently an increasing problem and are not controlled by any currently available anti-Salmonella vaccine.4. Although developing vaccines that are safe and efficacious in protecting chickens frominfections by Eimeria species to cause coccidiosis is our primary focus, we will monitor immune responses induced by the most protective vaccine constructs.